Is a career boost a good enough reason to go under the knife?

Is plastic surgery good for your career if you feel like your age is holding you back? It’s a valid question--one that’s made a little murkier by the presence of age discrimination. Motivations to undergo plastic surgery can be incredibly complicated, and it’s not uncommon for thoughts about your career to be part of the equation.

Is Plastic Surgery Good for Your Career?

There are many reasons why plastic surgery candidates consider undergoing cosmetic procedures. But what about work? Is plastic surgery good for your career? And is that sufficient reason for someone to undergo, say, a facelift or a blepharoplasty? The short answer to that question is going to sound evasive: it’s complicated.

When Is Plastic Surgery Good For Your Career?

Now, that answer is going to come with a disclaimer. If you don’t want plastic surgery, there are very few good reasons to undergo a procedure. Your career probably would also remain not a very good reason to undergo any procedure.

But if you actively want a procedure, the calculus changes a little bit. Even with that consideration, however, the prospect of undergoing plastic surgery to improve your career is murky, at best. The entire prospect is incredibly problematic, in large part because of the specter of age discrimination hovering over the whole thing. If you’re thinking about plastic surgery, big or small, make sure to talk to your plastic surgeon about your concerns, whether they be about your career or your procedure in general.

Plastic Surgery as a Career Boost Becoming More Popular

Whether it’s a good idea or not, plastic surgery as a career boost is quickly becoming ever more popular. There are several reasons for this, but I think it makes sense to tackle the most unpleasant first: age discrimination.

During the Great Recession, which started in 2008 (or 2007, depending on how you count), the people at the ends of the age spectrum took a big hit. The oldest workers and the youngest workers suddenly found themselves in the lurch. The stigma against older workers (or the policy against them, in some cases) remains to this day.

That kind of age discrimination is supposed to be illegal, but it’s incredibly difficult to prove conclusively. (That’s true with many types of hiring discrimination.) Jobs and promotions seem to end up being won by those who are younger. That’s why some plastic surgery patients are determined to keep, create, or maintain a youthful appearance. And it’s also probably why that trend is becoming more popular.

What Kinds of Procedures Are People Getting?

Okay, so if people are undergoing plastic surgery in order to boost at their jobs, what kind of procedures are they looking at? Clearly, facial procedures tend to be among the most popular option among those looking to give their careers a boost:

Facelift: These days, facelift procedures are capable of amazing grace and subtlety. That means if you decide to undergo a “mini facelift” you and your surgeon can transform your face in ways that will be difficult to detect directly. In other words, your face will look noticeably more youthful, but it won’t necessarily be apparent you’ve had plastic surgery. This is a popular option among those who want to look more youthful because of the end result and because of the relatively short recovery period.

Botox and dermal fillers:Injectables are another popular option for those looking to eliminate some lines and wrinkles in a subtle but effective way. There are various types of injectables, of course, from Botox to Juvederm to Voluma, and they all combat wrinkles in different ways. The nice thing about most injectables is that they’re quick and easy and there’s relatively little downtime. The downside is that results tend to be temporary, so if you want to remain looking youthful, you have to undergo regular maintenance injections.

Blepharoplasty: Another popular option for many patients is something called an eyelid lift, or blepharoplasty. This procedure eliminates unwanted lines, wrinkles, and tissue from around the eyes. This can effectively make patients look significantly more youthful, even though it’s a relatively minor change. The strength of this procedure lies in the fact that it’s treating the area around your eyes–and your eyes are incredibly expressive.

Plastic Surgery That Works for You And Your Career

If you’re considering plastic surgery as a way to further your career, it’s also important to keep in mind that you should be selecting a procedure that works for you too. In other words, you should be finding a procedure that you actually want–something that works for you and your career.

It’s easy to understand why someone might consider plastic surgery good for your career. I’m not sure that, on its own, your career is enough motivation to undergo a procedure. But I can certainly understand where that motivation comes from and why it might be so powerful. Ultimately, the decision to undergo plastic surgery–or not–will be completely up to you.

Martin. “What Motivates People To Have Plastic Surgery?” EruptingMind, www.eruptingmind.com/what-motivates-people-to-have-plastic-surgery/.

About the Author: Dan Voltz is a content strategist and copywriter who has been writing about plastic and cosmetic surgery for over four years. He works with surgeons to ensure plastic surgery fans get the latest up to date information.